A draft constitutional reform delivered to Nicaragua's National Assembly on Tuesday evening proposes measures that would bar individuals branded as "traitors" or accused of "coup-plotting" from standing in future elections, and would alter the presidential term from six years to seven "renewable" years.
Congress President Gustavo Porras previewed the content of the draft on Tuesday, according to multiple media accounts, though he offered limited elaboration on its provisions. Lawmakers are expected to consider and approve the proposal in September, the draft's sponsors say.
The initiative follows recent public statements by President Daniel Ortega asserting there would be no elections in the country if that were necessary to avert what he described as an attempt by the opposition to "seize the government." As Porras read elements of the proposal, he said: "Our system of government, under the presidency of the people, proposes to be organized with an effective term of seven renewable years."
Context and prior changes
This draft comes after a 2024 constitutional amendment that extended the presidential term from five to six years. That earlier amendment also elevated Rosario Murillo, Ortega's wife and then-vice president, to the position of co-president. Opponents criticized the 2024 changes as a move designed to enable the presidential family to remain in power indefinitely. The 2024 amendment additionally postponed planned elections until late 2027.
President Ortega, a former Marxist rebel who helped overthrow the Somoza dictatorship in the late 1970s, began his fourth consecutive term in January 2022 after winning the prior November's election. That victory came amid mounting criticism and sanctions from much of the international community, led by the United States and the European Union.
Political climate and past unrest
Nicaragua has faced a protracted political crisis since April 2018, when a government crackdown on anti-government protests resulted in the deaths of more than 300 people, according to human rights organizations. The tensions and international scrutiny surrounding Ortega's administration form the backdrop to the newly proposed constitutional changes.
The draft's provisions to exclude individuals accused of treason or coup plotting from participation in elections, and to lengthen the presidential term to seven renewable years, mark a further consolidation of constitutional power structures under the current leadership. How these proposals will be debated in Congress and received domestically and internationally remains to be seen as the legislative timetable moves toward a projected September approval.